County Board Pay and Benefits Questioned

As I was entering the County Board’s Finance Committee last Thursday, Mary McCann was proposing an amendment to the resolution setting members’ salaries. Instead of the flat rate of $21,000 a year, she proposed returning to the per diem approach … Continue reading

County Board Supports Governor’s Turnaround Agenda

You’ll be hearing more about the contents of the following resolution, which passed the McHenry County Board on a 16-5 vote Thursday morning. Voting against the resolution were Tina Hill Mary McCann Anna May Miller Mike Skala Bob Nowak The … Continue reading

Palmer Convinces Finance Committee To Keep Dental Audit Secret

Wednesday McHenry County Blog ran a piece entitled, “Should Misdeeds Uncovered by Internal Audits Be Made Public?” There has apparently been double billing for providing dental care to Veterans. Both the Veterans department and the County Health Department have been … Continue reading

Committee Rejects New Employee, Plus Pay Hikes for Zoning Board of Appeals

Tuesday the Planning & Development Committee took on a decidedly fiscal conservative approach to McHenry County spending. Two items to increase spending were on the agenda: Hiring a new person to handle water resources at a cost of almost $73,000 … Continue reading

Gottemoller’s Committee Spoils for His Supporters

The last article on McHenry County Board Committee assignments by newly-elected Chairman Joe Gottemoller focused on what those who supported his opponent Jim Heisler ended up. This will look at how the winners were rewarded.  Again requests that were granted … Continue reading

County Cuts Losses of Housing Federal Prisoners $10 a Day – Part 1

The debate on Tuesday about housing Federal prisoners in the McHenry County Jail started with Law & Justice Committee Chairman Sue Draffkorn trying to set the terms of debate. With regard to the ten-year agreement with the Feds, Draffkorn pointed … Continue reading

County Board Discussing Gun Discharge Ordinance

The Natural and Environmental Resources Committee met March 17 and discussed, among other things, an ordinance to prohibit the discharge of a firearm. Below is the ordinance in searchable form: Ordinance Regulating the Discharge of Firearms in Unincorporated McHenry County … Continue reading

A More Systematic Look at Write-In Campaigns

There were thirty people who waged write-in campaigns for Republican Precinct Committeeman. This is an attempt to put all of the results in one place. Here are the results of Mickey Barnas’ campaign. Joe Stecker’s success in Algonquin 19 has … Continue reading

Barb Wheeler Robo-Calls for Mary McClellan’s County Clerk Campaign

Nunda Township Republican politics are fascinating. Those outside the entity’s boundaries are getting a taste of the alliances this year as County Board members Nick Provenzano and Mary McClellan face off for County Clerk. I just got a call from … Continue reading

The County Board Debate on the $9 Million Randall Road Expansion Resolution – 3

This is the third installment of the debate which occurred at the McHenry County Board Tuesday morning over the resolution to approve a contract to continue the widening of Randall Road from four to six lanes, plus revamping its intersection … Continue reading

Finance Committee Moves Randall-Algonquin Road Intersection Improvement to County Board

In the 1960’s when one wanted to get from the northern termination of Randall Road at Algonquin Road, one had to go east and travel through the old section of Lake in the Hills to get to Crystal Lake. The … Continue reading

McHenry County Board Compensation

McHenry County Board members get paid a salary of $20,815.86 a year. The average salary is almost $33,000 when health and dental insurance is included. And, even more if the County Board member is participating in the Illinois Municipal Retirement … Continue reading

90 Attend Gottemoller County Board Fundraiser

First-term McHenry County Board member Joe Gottemoller held a fund raiser at 1776 in Crystal Lake Monday night and ninety people attended. One of those present was Republican gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard.  After very brief remarks by Gottemoller, Dillard gave … Continue reading

Jack Franks’ Fall “Host Committee” Features Republican Elected Officials and Wannabe

Republican elected officials preferring Democrats to be in office is pretty common in Cook County, but surprising to find in McHenry County. On the top of State Rep. Jack Franks’ “Host Committee” is McHenry County Board member Michele Aavang. And … Continue reading

Kevin Craver Says McCann, Miller and Yensen Didn’t “Boycott” Public Health Committee Meeting that Picked Jeff Thorsen

Last night while I was at the marathon Prairie Grove Elementary School Board meeting, Democratic County Board member Paula Yensen called to tell me why she had missed the Public Health & Human Services Committee meeting. Sometime after 1 AM, … Continue reading

Public Health Committee Four Nominate Jeff Thorsen for 708 Board as Minority Three Boycott Meeting

Chaired by Donna Kurtz a majority of four nominated Crystal Lake City Councilman, banker and holder of an MBA Jeff Thorsen to fill the vacancy on the 708 Mental Health Board. A vacancy remains because an 18-6 majority vote on … Continue reading

The Petition for a Special Meeting to Allow a Vote on Holding an April Referendum on Whether Voters Should Select the County Board Chairman

Here are the McHenry County Board members who signed Nick Provenzano’s petition to call a special meeting on Friday, January 18th at 9 AM to consider whether voters should have a shot in April at passing a referendum on whether … Continue reading

Women Rule on McHenry County Board Committee Assignments

After the election of officers, the new McHenry County Board Chairman (woman, what’s she want to be called?) appoints one person from each District to a Committee on Committees. That’s the committee that recommends who should be put in what … Continue reading

McHenry County Board Members May Have Signaled Intention to “Tax to the Max” Again

Getting as much money out of taxpayers is pretty much the goal of every tax district official, from school board member to township trustee. To do that, boards need to ask for more than the increase in the Cost of … Continue reading